Lunar Doubles: Chapter 1
by Crescent Beam
Summary: A sequel to Pokemon Mystery Dungeon 2; thus, it will contain spoilers. (DO NOT READ IF YOU WANT TO AVOID SPOILERS) The events after the main character defeats Primal Dialga have not occurred in this story (i.e returning to your partner, defeating Darkrai). The hero has been transported to a region called Naramsa, and has been put under a new journey.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Displacement

A naïve, young, and male bunny was hopping as quick as he could along the pathways of the town he lived in. Normally, the townsfolk would shove his tiny body off with a kneejerk, but his very worried face and repetition of, "Miss Meowstic! Miss Meowstic!" pardoned his running.

Right next to a calm waterfall called Tranquill Falls was Miss Meowstic's house. There was a strip of purple at the bottom of the house, but the rest of it was a bleached white. There was no door, just like the rest of the town of Sokieti. The little boy hopped right in, almost bumping into the arm of the chair someone was sitting in.

The chair moved away from a desk. A bipedal, humanlike female cat with apathetic eyes rose. Her body was mainly white with accentuations of blue, such as her tail, legs, arms, and at the top of her head. Despite the lack of emotion her yellow eyes showed, the little bunny knew she was caring.

"Miss Meowstic!" he shouted, jumping up and down, his ears barely reaching the seat of the chair. "I have news!"

"Young Buneary," she said with a dull voice. "What is it? A party at your mother's house?"

"No, I've been told this is serious!" he shouted. "According to Pelipper and Wingull, both locals and wildlife on the Dienka Mountain have spotted a red fox creature floating unconscious on the river! The one that falls right next to here!"

"A red fox creature…" Miss Meowstic whispered to herself. "Certainly a Pokémon, that's for sure… Oh dear. It could…could be…" Thousands of thoughts flowed through her head faster than the waterfalls that met at Sokieti. Suddenly, she barked at the Buneary boy, "Erkuli. Gather as many residents you can around the waterfall at the eastern edge of the town. I will do my own work."

"Yes ma'am!' Erkuli shouted, not surprised, or at least showing it, that Miss Meowstic knew his true name. He took a huge leap out of the room, and hopped with agility through the town. He shouted to everyone, "MISS MEOWSTIC WANTS EVERYONE AT THE EAST WATERFALL! EAST WATERFALL! COME TO THE EAST WATERFALL!"

The serene and pleasant atmosphere that had surrounded the town like a sweet aroma had been dusted away. Suddenly a nasty odor of urgency and panic had waltzed its way in Sokieti. For many, they found it silly and ironic that they were taking orders from a young Buneary, but since it was Miss Meowstic's orders, and Erkuli was not one to tell a fib, they did so.

Despite being a large town and Erkuli only being halfway through the straight pathway that went through the entire place of Sokieti, everyone was at the waterfall. The announcement had probably been spread through word of mouth, too. Erkuli quickly hopped back to the waterfall, where the whole population had clustered.

The cluster was muttering and squealing, and Erkuli saw why as he gathered closer. Meowstic had lifted her ears, which was a rare and threatening sight. She always concealed organs with powerful psychic abilities underneath her ears to protect everyone, due to the fact that they were often unpredictable and uncontrollable. With those powers, she could crush trees, make fissures in the ground, and even stop lightning.

It appeared to Erkuli that she gathered the townsfolk to help her. Pokémon such as Bunnelby and Rattata had scouted the nearby area for rocks and trees. Strong Pokémon such as Gurdurr and Conkeldurr lifted the rocks and trees out of the ground and took them to the mayor. Miss Meowstic would then use her psychic organs to carve the objects into certain shapes, and use them to make a bridge. The wood would be the actual bridge, and the rocks would be used for support. She used leaves as a landing that would hopefully soften the landing. It was a makeshift bridge, but it was the best thing to do in the situation, for anything that fell off the waterfall and plunged under the surface would be impaled by sharp, fragments of rocks.

Erkuli heard the residents whispering in the crowd. One said, "Mayor Meowstic ees makin' a mohntain out of ah moleheel, as you say." And another replied, "True, true, I mean, blimey, why wouldya make a bridge just to help a lot pup or whatchagotta? Tain't da first ting ta fall outta the falls." But then one countered, "Well, it would be gruesome for one to be impaled by the rocks. If one were to be impaled, many would not visit Sokieti due to bad publicity. She certainly wouldn't want that!"

And the crowd bantered on why Meowstic was going to great measures to save a random Pokémon falling down. Even if she was kind, surely she could save the creature more easily by jumping up and catching it.

However, the banter was silenced when someone shouted, "Look! There it is!" All heads snapped skyward, and sure enough, they could see a raft reaching the tip of the waterfall. It tipped down, and a red, six-tailed fox that was unconscious descended down. Everyone gasped, and when it plunged into the leaf pile an eerie silence voided the panicked odor that had covered the town. Only one Pokémon dared to walk up to the leaf pile—Erkuli.

He hopped right onto the bridge. He pushed away the orange and red leaves, and peered inside the pile. The creature inside was definitely a Pokémon, but unknown to him and everyone else. It was likely a foreign one. Its eyes were gradually opening, and a hoarse croak emitted from its mouth:

"E…Ee…I'll come back…"

"Miss Meowstic!" Erkuli shouted. "She's definitely a Pokémon. I don't know what kind, though! She's awake, good…"

Meowstic slowly walked toward the pile. She peered over Erkuli's shoulder. "She's a Vulpix…" she whispered apathetically. "Erkuli, carry her to your house. Your grandmother should be able to whip up some medicine…"

He nodded. He reached in the pile and picked her body up. She was surprisingly light, and very warm even though she was in water. Luckily, Erkuli's house was on the eastern side of Sokieti, so the walk would be short. He hopped toward the house, and said, "Grandma, we've got the Pokémon that was falling down! It's a Vulpix!"

Instantly, his grandmother shouted, "HANDS OFF, ERKULI!" Despite Lopunny being fluffy and cute, Erkuli's grandmother, Candace, was hostile, at least to him.

Candace swiped Vulpix from Erkuli's arms, muttering things like, "First I have to take care of my sweet, sweet daughter Melanie, along with _him, _but now a Vulpix—Wait, ERKULI." The stinging shout froze his cream-colored hairs. His grandmother continued:

"This Vulpix—she was in the river, correct?"

Erkuli nodded.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?" she barked. She went back to muttering to herself. "She had to have him…only thing wrong with her is him! Idiot Buneary… Even if Melanie is ill, I should take care of her too… Poor girl. A Fire type in water for who knows how long? Of course, I heard she was in a raft. But still, it's quite cold up in Dienka Mountain… She feels warm, but is probably having a terrible mental fright…"

Candace turned to the kitchen counter and grabbed some herbs and threw them into a pot. "Erkuli, watch Melanie! Don't you dare touch her, though!"

Erkuli did as she said, watching his mother. In the first ten years he had lived, his mother was always bright and caring. She took good care of her mother, Candace, and her son. However, about a month ago, the roles were reversed. Melanie had suddenly been diagnosed with an unknown disease; symptoms of it include dead black eyes, falling asleep at random times, wandering around, and chronic nightmares. Erkuli and his grandmother both had to take care of her, although Candace would often restrict him from even touching his own mother, as if her condition could get any worse.

Suddenly, his mother's eyes opened, and she awakened from her sleep. Her eyes were a void of black apathy. They were more apathetic than Miss Meowstic's eyes. She whispered hoarsely, "Erkuli…you look handsome…and bright…"

"Thank you, Mo—"

"NO!" erupted his grandmother. "Ah, damn it all!"

"Mother…" Melanie whispered.

"Oh sorry, Melanie. I'm just—well, this Vulpix is fine, should wake up in a couple of seconds, but… Well, damn it, we're out of your herbs!"

"Mother…please…" she croaked weakly. "Anyways, I can still survive…"

"Now, Melanie, that ain't for damn sure!" she countered. Her daughter didn't bother speaking this time. "This is the first sight of that disease you have, at least in Naramsa. The possibilities are unknown, and if I let you die from this, I'll be damned to hell!"

"Surely…you can get it from the grasslands south?"

"No, no. Herbs there are for colds and occasionally a strong fever. I'm… I'm thinking I got those from the Mayor.

"Miss Meowstic grows herbs?" Erkuli inquired.

"OF COURSE NOT, ERKULI!" she roared. "Not sure where…but surely, she got them from somewhere."

"Perhaps from a town more advanced…?" suggested Melanie.

"You could be right! Bright daughter, you are. Nothing like him. Anywho, it could be from up in Dienka—Ciad, if I'm correct? Being the mayor of a good town like Sokieti, it could be from them… Aren't we good allies anyway?"

"Mother…how could we get there? You're…you're too frail, and I'm sick…"

Candace pondered on that question for a minute. "I don't think we could get anyone in the town to do it…" A cunning smirk spread across her face. "Perhaps, Erkuli?"

"NO!" Melanie objected, raising her head. "Not him, he's young!"

"Help, then…" her mother said to herself. "Mayor Meowstic could perhaps do it. Maybe?"

"Likely too busy, being the mayor."

"How about…the Vulpix?"

"But she's unconscious!"

"And she just got out of the river!" Erkuli added.

For once, he was not yelled at. "She does owe us a favor, though." Candace said.

"So?" her daughter said.

"We'll just subtly make her do it."

"That's cruel, mother!" Melanie shouted.

"Melanie, quiet!" she commanded. "I think she's waking up!"

Erkuli looked over at the stone kitchen counter. The Vulpix was indeed waking up. Her six tails stood straight up, and then she stretched out her red limbs. Her eyelids opened, revealing her eyes were a beautiful ruby red. She scratched a red tuft of hair atop her head, and then scratched hear ears.

Suddenly, the fox took notice of her surroundings. She surveyed the area. She stared at the two Lopunny, Melanie and Candace, noticing how tall they were compared to her. She then looked at Erkuli for a second, and looked at her feet and noticed she was above the ground. Heh

"Wha…what?" she shouted. "You're not him… Where is he?!"

"Calm down!" Candace barked. "Calm down, young lady. Who ya looking for in here, anyways? Brother?"

"No…" she sibilated. "I'm looking for my friend, Nalu. He's an Eevee… I—" She cut herself off, sounding unsure of what she was talking about. "I don't know what happened. But…where am I?"

"You're in the town of Sokieti!" Erkuli replied.

"Where's that?" the Vulpix asked curiously. "I've never heard of it. Is it anywhere close to Wigglytuff's Guild, or perhaps Treasure Town?"

Erkuli's cream eyebrows arched. "What are those places? I've never heard of them."

"They're…they're the biggest town in the region. South of it is a beach, west of it is a cliff—"

Erkuli's grandmother interjected: "There ain't no cliffs around here. The only cliffs you'll find in the whole place of Naramsa is in Pagro Island. No civilization there. Savages."

"N—Naramsa?!" she yelled with concern. Her voice was wavering. "That's…the region? I…" Quickly she ran to the door, took a short survey of the town, and gasped.

"This is wrong… I've been put in the wrong region… Something's wrong."


	2. Chapter 2: Ascending

Chapter 2: Ascending

"What's that supposed to mean?" Young Erkuli asked.

"I'm." she answered simply. "Somehow, I've been sent to this place—Naramsa. I'm sure it's the same thing that—" She paused herself, and sighed. "Never mind."

"Well, deal with that later on." Candace said, hastily moving to another subject. Erkuli gave her an angry glare. It was a very serious topic; but then again, his grandmother seemed to only care about herself at times. "It's almost dusk, isn't it? It's time for dinner! Let's see…Melanie, eat some Sitrus Berries, very healthy. Er, Erkuli…just have some leftover Rawst Berries. Vulpix, dear, what would you like?"

"Wait, what?! Uh—"

"Oh,, we have some delicious Gummis. All flavors! Hm…Red Gummis are good for Fire types. Have that." She grabbed all the food she had listed, and picked out a pair of big apples for herself. There was no table in the house, so she set the food down on the floor.

"Vulpix, it's not much," she commented. "But it should be delicious! Eat in!"

Vulpix hesitated for a bit, but she reluctantly jumped down. Like a suspicious dog, she carefully sniffed her food, and then took a bite into the Gummi. Her face was filled with amusing surprise, and she dug into the food. Erkuli was very jealous that she got Gummis for dinner.

During supper, Candace heard a knock at the front of the house. It was not at a door, but on the stone wall.

"Who is it?" she interrogated.

"Meowstic," a quiet voice answered.

"Miss Mayor!" Erkuli proclaimed with pleasure. He hopped over to the door and saw her standing there. "What do you want?"

"Oh, I'm just dropping by. Perhaps I could have a snack here?"

"Oh, yes!" Erkuli's grandmother shouted. "You can have all of our food! But, why are you visiting? As far as I know, it is not regular for you to visit the residents."

"Well," Meowstic said, walking towards the group of four. "I also wanted to talk to our guest in Sokieti. Vulpix?"

"Oh, she's right here." Candace replied. "Since she must be starving, we're giving her a treat. However, it's almost time for her and Erkuli to go to sleep."

"How unfortunate," Meowstic remarked. "I will take a short visit while you're sleeping, though. Is that okay?"

The quartet nodded.

"Good. Now, go to bed, you two. Don't be insubordinate to your guardian." She sat between Melanie and Candace. Erkuli hopped upwards a set of stairs, and Vulpix warily followed.

Erkuli hopped right into his bed, which was a nest of grass, leaves, and other soft material. Vulpix slowly crouched down.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"That…er, Meowstic? She's…just so void of emotion."

"Don't worry! She may seem scary, but she's really kind to everyone!"

"I…I guess so." She walked in a circle two times and curled up in her nest. "Good night…"

At the crack of dawn, the yelling of his grandmother woke Erkuli up. Had he really been asleep more than twelve hours ago? It seemed much minuter to him. Sighing, he walked into the main room.

It was the same meal as yesterday's supper—Vulpix still had Gummis. Surprisingly, she seemed to have been awake for a bit. "Good morning," she greeted.

He grinned back at her. His grandmother shouted, "Come on Erkuli, eat quick!"

"I've just woken up…" he mumbled like a zombie.

"SILENCE!" Candace ordered. "You have to go up the mountain soon to get the herbs from Ciad! Noon ain't that far away! If you're able to leave, you might get to the top by noon, in fact!"

"All by himself?" Vulpix asked.

"Oh, well, yes…" she said with a melodramatic sigh. "His mother is very ill—just look at Melanie, poor dear—and she needs medicine. She obviously ain't able to climb a mountain, and my old, fragile bones ain't up to the job either. Sadly, it's a lone journey for him."

"Oh…perhaps I could join him? He's so young."

"Oh, Arceus, what a wonderful idea!" Candace said even more overdramatically. "That's a bright idea you got there! Oh, you can go! You keep an eye on him, though, he's a damn klutz!"

Vulpix nodded, and jumped down. Erkuli thought she acted like an adventure was a hobby for her. Absolutely no big deal. To him, it was an adventure. For the first time in forever, he would be able to explore, and there would be magic in it all. He knew it was totally crazy to dream he'd find such joy in such a small errand, but he still dreamt so anyways.

"Come on!" Erkuli shouted. "Follow me to the eastern river!"

Vulpix followed him, and easily caught up to his pace. In no time they reached Tranquill Falls. Erkuli saw that as they were running everyone gave looks at them. He knew they were all worried about Vulpix. After all, who knew how long she had been floating, and how rough the ride had been? He couldn't tell if she was bothered by them or had even noticed.

They soon reached Tranquill Falls. While it churned loudly while flowing downhill, it silently fell from the top of the waterfall to the lake at the bottom. From Tranquill Falls, one could see that the lake covered the whole southern side of Sokieti.

Vulpix looked up at the top, noticing that the waterfall was gigantic. "How are we supposed to get to the top?" she asked. There was no clear passage to the top of the cliff.

"I'm…not that sure…" Erkuli admitted.

"What?!" she said in shock. "Your grandma sent you to the top of the mountain, yet you don't know how to begin climbing?"

"It's…it's not like I do this all the time!" he said sheepishly.

"Still, you should know how to get up the mountain! Surely, it's common knowledge, being right next to the mountain!"

"Well…probably," he replied. "But I'm just a kid! No one would tell me until I'm old enough!"

"I guess we're going to—oh, wait!"

Suddenly, Vulpix walked towards the waterfall. She walked behind Meowstic's house to the edge of the water. It was the closest she could get to the waterfall. She put her paw on the blue, white, and peaceful water, and she stood still for a few seconds. She seemed to be expecting something to happen. Vulpix sighed and shook her head, muttering something to herself.

"What were you doing?" Erkuli asked.

"N-nothing…" she said. Her face got redder than it usually was. "Looks like it'll take a while. Couldn't we go to the other side of the mountain?"

"I don't think that would be needed." a lazy voice said.

Vulpix jumped, and her six tails stood straight up. She frantically looked around the area, scanning it for the Pokémon who had said that. "W-where are you?"

"Right here," it said again. This time Vulpix could tell where it was from. She looked towards the white and blue house. Meowstic stepped outside of the murky shade of her house.

"Who are—wait," She thought for a moment, and then added, "You're the Pokémon who visited his house last night."

"Yeah! She's Miss Meowstic!" Erkuli said joyfully. "She's the mayor of Sokieti!"

"Mayor? Oh—I'm sorry."

"It is okay." Meowstic replied dully. "Go behind the waterfall."

"Excuse me?" Vulpix asked. "Why would we go behind a waterfall?"

"Because it's the easiest way to get past the waterfall and cliff." she answered. "Now, there is a small tunnel behind there. After no more than ten minutes, you should come back to the surface of the mountain. Follow the river." Without another word, she receded to her murky shadows.

Gulping, Vulpix said, "Are you sure we should go back there?"

"If Miss Meowstic says so, we should! She's the most trustworthy mayor in all of Naramsa!"

"O-okay…" she said. For the first time she was showing cowardice. Her legs were shaking heavily. "I'll go first….and if I don't call back, don't jump in."

She got into a ready position, and then sprinted to the edge. She leaped off the ground, and rolled into the waterfall.

Erkuli waited in silence for a few seconds, and then heard, "Erkuli! It's safe!"

His legs shook greatly. He wiped away his tears and tried to put a serious, brave face. He hopped as he ran, giving himself momentum. As he reached the waterfall, he took a huge jump and landed safely inside the tunnel.

"See!" he said gleefully. "Miss Meowstic told the truth!"

"I guess so…" Vulpix replied. "Let's continue."

Inside, as Meowstic said to the two of them, there was a tunnel. It was obviously not naturally made, due to the rocky stairs that made ascending much easier. The only light that sneaked into the gloomy tunnel was from the waterfall entrance and the exit at the top. Even so, the light was bare. There were a few gemstone-like stalactites on the ceiling that reflected off light, making the tunnel a bit more visible. However, the two Pokémon traversed the tunnel by staying close to the wall.

"So…" Vulpix whispered, as if a loud echo would collapse the tunnel. "Your name is Erkuli, right?"

"Yep!" he answered, his fear and tears both gone. "What about yours?"

"Oh, that's right! I've not told you. It's Inasa."

"It's pretty!" The pair then bumped into a small set of stairs, and paused for a few seconds to ascend them.

"Th-thanks!" Inasa said. "Erkuli is a cool name too…"

"My mom said it's the name of a legendary hero. He fought all sorts of monsters, and banished them from Naramsa!"

"I don't think my name is anything—oh, we're there!" They had already reached the end of the tunnel. They climbed the last set of stairs and ascended into fresh air.

The ground of the mountain was a stormy gray. Scrubs and other small vegetation were scattered across the floor. To the pair's left was the river, called Dienka River, after the mountain. When they looked back, they saw that close by was the waterfall. They could observe the whole town of Sokieti from Dienka Mountain. On the other side of the river, the land was very similar. South and downwards of them were trees, which suddenly stopped at a point below them. Upwards, most of the mountain was obscured by a menacing fog. However, bright lights broke through the fog like fireflies, showing that there was a city up ahead. It was likely a big one, due to the abundance of lights. The only things the pair could use to guide them were the lights and the Dienka River.

Inasa stepped forward. Her short breaths could be seen due to how cold the mountain was. Her legs were shaking. She was obviously still weak from her trip down the river, and she looked uncertain of her chance of survival.

"Let's go," she muttered. "We have a long climb ahead of us."


	3. Chapter 3: Liacreses

Chapter 3:

Slowly, they ascended the mountain. It was almost noon and yet it seemed like they had barely stepped away from the tunnel. As they got higher, the fog got denser. Inasa and Erkuli had to stick closely and listen to the sound of the churning river to stay on track. The city lights seemed to be getting dimmer and farther every minute.

"Inasa…" Erkuli whispered, panting heavily. "You're from another region…" She nodded. "What was it like?"

"It…was beautiful," she replied, also panting. "There were mountains...floating pieces of lands, giant waterfalls…gemstone caves, underwater dungeons…a frozen island, a rich forest. And the Pokémon…of Treasure Town were so friendly…"

"It sounds so…exotic…" he said quietly. "What about…your friend, Nalu? How'd you meet him…"

Inasa paused for a moment in her speech. She reminisced on her past for a brief bit. "I first met him unconscious on a beach. I didn't remember my name, and I still don't know how I ended up there. We introduced ourselves…and then a Zubat and Koffing stole one of his possessions. We chased them down in a cave, and beat them in a battle. Nalu asked me to be his partner in a team, and I accepted. We joined a famous guild owned by a Wigglytuff, and went on many adventures. I still couldn't figure out my past."

At this point the side of the mountain to the right of the river took a sharp decline. Luckily, bridges were built over it. They silently crossed the bridges with caution, and then Inasa continued:

"This…this next part of my life may be hard to swallow. But please, trust me, it's true!" She gulped, and then resumed: "Later, we…we met a Grovyle. He…was actually my partner. We—er… We were both from the future. We were both working to collect things called Time Gears, but Dusknoir prevented us from doing that. Eventually…we were able to collect them. Our purpose was to restore time, because the ruler of time, Dialga, was corrupted. We were able to do that…Grovyle sacrificed himself by pushing both him and Dusknoir into a portal to the future. Nalu and I were able to defeat Dialga and restore time. And then…I just disappeared. I thought I would forever be erased from existence…but I'm here for some reason. It's…unbelievable, I know. But it's true, you have to believe!"

Surprisingly, his response was, "I do!"

Inasa was obviously taken by surprise. She jumped back in a startled manner, almost falling into the river again. She yelled, "What?! You'll just…believe it?"

"Of course!" he replied. "Lots of weird things have happened in the past of the world. Why wouldn't your story be fake?"

Inasa didn't say anything. She was in huge disbelief.

The two Pokémon looked up. The dense fog was starting to clear, showing the environment around them. The city lights broke through, larger and brighter than the last time they had seen them. Ciad was surrounded by imposing stone walls. There were two small entrances on both sides of the Dienka River, which cut into the heart of the river. Music and laughter escaped from the holes in the walls.

"A…amazing…" Erkuli commented. He found it more fantastic than Inasa's tale. "This is the capital of Naramsa."

He walked into the entrance, and Inasa warily followed. The two were not prepared for the sight.

They were taken even more by surprise when they walked in. The Dienka River was clean and calm, unlike it was outside of the stone boundaries. Gorebyss, Luvdisc, Alomomola, and even Milotic swam in synch with each other in the river. At every corner of the city Kricketune were playing beautiful music to make money. On the other side Vivillion showed off their varied and colorful patterns. Small Pokémon such as Lillipup and Helioptile playfully chased each other around. The streets were smooth and marble. The buildings were well polished and released no smoke from the chimney. Far away from the entrance to Ciad was an impressive, tall castle. The ruler of Ciad and Naramsa, Queen Sari, resided there.

"It's…beautiful!" Inasa proclaimed. Just then, an orange Heliolisk approached the pair.

"Visitors?" he questioned. "Who are you? What is your purpose here?"

Erkuli stiffened, scared by the sudden interrogation. Inasa stepped up:

"We've been sent by Candace, a Lopunny, from Sokieti down at the valley. We need to get medicine to treat her daughter."

"Pft!" he snidely remarked. "I won't listen to a foreigner! Both of you are young, what person would send you up the tallest mountain in Naramsa? I'll have the Buneary tell me the answers. Ahem—did you get permission from the Mayor, Miss Meowstic?"

"Er—not directly!" he quickly answered. "But she did tell us where to start off, so I guess she approved of it?"

"Don't say it like a question! Do I know the answer to that?" he roared. He folded his arms together. "Hmph. I'll accept it. Do you even know who has the medicine?"

"I—Queen Sari."

"_Only _Queen Sari? What does that daughter have? Surely someone else would have a treatment."

"Er—" He hastily tried to explain it. "Well, uh, no one, er, knows. It makes her have chronic nightmares, sleep attacks, among other things…"

"Hmph…never heard of that one. Crazy tale, but I'll let you in. One wrong move, and you're roasted."

"S—thank you!" Erkuli exclaimed. The Heliolisk trotted away, waving his tail regally.

"The medicine's from the queen?" Inasa asked rhetorically. "Well, she's in the castle, probably. Let's go."

"Why not a drink, first?" Erkuli suggested. "I'm…still a little tired from the hike."

"Uh…sure!" she replied. "Do you have any money?"

"No, but it's a custom here for anyone to give hospitality and care to anyone who climbed all the way to Ciad."

"Alright, then! Let's go here," She was indicating to the nearest building to their immediate right. It was a police station. They walked into the wooden entryway.

Just like Ciad, the police station was clean and well-polished. On the wall were multiple, straightened, and laminated posters with pictures of Pokémon. The word WANTED was printed underneath. There were multiple stainless water bowls for everyone to drink. The police officers, mostly Herdier, welcomed the visitors with warmth.

"Welcome!" one of them said. "Ye a traveler?"

"Yep!" Erkuli replied. "Could we have a drink and food?"

"Oh, ho, ot course! Tehre tiny Gummis in the cabinet ye can have! Drink tohm te bowls—no germs!" He chuckled heartily.

"Thanks!" he replied, and he drank. And as he did, he looked at the wanted posters. One of them was called Liacreses, who looked rather familiar. He did not know where he had seen it. Liacreses was mainly blue with a few white stripe sand marks around his body. He did not know what Pokémon he was, but he swore he had seen one that was very similar to him.

After a minute of eating and drinking, he was refreshed and filled, and so was Inasa. They thanked the Herdier and others, and walked back into the bustling city. Erkuli did not speak of Liacreses.

"Now, can we go to the castle?" asked Inasa. Erkuli nodded, although he was so full it hurt to move.

As they got closer, they could see the castle in full detail. Parts of it were made from diamonds created by Queen Sari, including the door and around the window. Detailed ice sculptures adorned with gems and flowers stood under rows of arches. There were two pink bastions at both ends of the castle. As it was now close to dusk, the pair could see that Ampharos stood at each bastion, dimly glowing like a lighthouse. There was no battlement at the front of the castle, or at any side, showing that the city was peaceful. The Dienka River flowed to the front of the building, and there was a wooden drawbridge to give passage over it.

The pair was in even more awe than when they had first entered Ciad. Multiple Zorua entered through the drawbridge, so it was obvious that anyone could enter without permission. They followed after them, and walked into a glamorous hallway. They quickly ran down into the courtyard.

Like everything else, the courtyard was beautiful. There were lovely green bushes lined up perfectly at two ends of the courtyard. There were also more ice sculptures, and both of them were of Queen Sari. A beautiful fountain was in the middle of the beautiful courtyard, drawing water from the river. Flowers of all colors flowed through the room making a rainbow-like effect.

Inasa walked up to whom she assumed was a guard. He was bipedal and humanoid, and his body was made of metal. The top of his head was brown and red, and was shaped like a helmet. A yellow axe-like shape was attached to his helmet. The helmet concealed most of his face, showing only his eyes. His shoulders projected up and were red. His hands were white and had sharp blades attached to him, and similar sharp blades were attached to his torso.

"Mr., er…" she said.

"You may call me Bisharp," he said in a rough voice.

"Mister Bisharp, er, could we have some medicine?"

"And why should you get medicine from here?" Bisharp asked pretentiously.

"Well, we're out of medicine in Sokieti… It's for my friend's mom—he's over there—she has some sort of nightmare disease, and—"

Bisharp's angry eyes lit up. "Speak no more, young Vulpix! Queen Sari said that case was very important!" He stomped upstairs, his metal clanging against the floor.

Erkuli could hear Bisharp open the door. Suddenly, he heard a deep gasp, and then a quick slash. Like it was an instinct, both Inasa and he ran upstairs to see what had happened.

The door was still open. Red liquid flowed down the stairway—blood. Bisharp was laying on the floor. His hard metal torso had been cut through, splitting him in half and killing him. There was also a stab wound where his heart would be. A Pokémon was standing over another Pokémon, about to kill her. Erkuli recognized the latter as Queen Sari. And the other one…

"Liacreses!" he shouted.


End file.
